Fire managers with the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit are set to begin burning slash piles across White River National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands in Eagle, Garfield, and Summit counties. The burns, expected to start in the coming weeks, are part of efforts to reduce wildfire risks and improve local wildlife habitats.

Crews may burn anywhere from tens to hundreds of piles each day, depending on site conditions. Firefighters will remain on-site during the day while allowing some piles to smolder overnight. Though most smoke will clear by day, some smoke may linger in valley bottoms at night. Fire managers plan to monitor the project areas for days following the burn to ensure everything remains safe.

White River National Forest fuels Program Manager Dan Neilsen highlighted the significance of these burns, especially near the Sunlight Mountain communication site in Garfield County. 

“We did a fuels reduction project around those communication sites that are a major hub for communications throughout Roaring Fork, Garfield County, Pitkin County, and other areas,” Neilsen said. “We’re creating defensible space and reducing hazardous fuels around critical infrastructure that supports the communities.”

The burn projects in Garfield County follow a thinning of trees and removal of dead wood near key communication sites that began two years ago. Fire crews had gathered and prepared the slash piles last winter. With this winter bringing sufficient drying, the material is now ready for a safe burn.

Fire officials secured permits from the State of Colorado for the burns, and a detailed fire plan will guide the operations. 

“The state issues us a smoke permit,” Neilsen said. “That’s based on different atmospheric conditions like dispersion rate, which helps control how smoke affects the local area.” Depending on weather and staffing, the process could take from one to two weeks.

Neilsen emphasized that reducing wildfire risk around these sites is vital for protecting local communication infrastructure, which supports emergency services across Garfield and Pitkin counties. 

“If a wildfire impacted that area, we’d lessen the potential impacts on that site,” he said. “Losing all the Garfield County repeaters, EMS, Forest Service, and BLM towers would be a huge blow to the community.”

Residents may notice smoke during the burns, which could impact air quality. The state provides information on how prescribed fire smoke can affect health at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s website.